Home Away from Home
by QuixoticQuiddity
Summary: The story of a guild's gradual hijacking of one of their members' apartment.
1. Chapter 1

"What do you mean the inn is full?" The Fortress asked, banging his fist on the front desk.

Dalla, the innkeeper, was unperturbed by the wild-haired Fortress' threats, but had a frown on her face. "I'm sorry, but with all the new explorers and people coming to Tharsis, we simply don't have enough room."

"What if we pay more than those other guys?" He asked with narrowed eyes, prepared to bribe the shit out of her if he had to.

"That's not how it works."

"Okay, then how about we pay one of those fuckers to shove off and-"

A black male in Nightseeker gear appeared from the blue, hand quickly clamping over the Fortress' mouth, while offering Dalla an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him, he's really stubborn... ow! Hey, don't bite my hand!" Despite the sudden assault, he did not let release his angry fellow. "Let's go - stop bothering her, alright?"

The Nightseeker dragged the Fortress outside - a strenuous task, with all the armor the hot-headed boy was wearing. Outside of the inn, when the Nightseeker felt that he calmed down enough, he let him go.

"Kid, learn to calm down, will you?" The Nightseeker said sternly.

"Again with the 'kid', Mike?" He hated when Mikhael called him a kid - he was only 19, and Mikhael was 22. Was it the height? Probably. The Fortress wasn't exactly a tall person.

"If you're going to act like a kid, I'm treating you like a kid, Nate." The Nightseeker huffed.

"Any luck?" A voice called. Sitting on one of the public benches were their medic and arcanist. The Medic, a young male, read the frustrated look on Nate's face and frowned. "Oh, I see..."

Nate didn't like seeing his Medic be downcast. "Hey, Milo, don't sweat it, there's gotta be another place..."

"Doubt it." Mikhael said, sighing. With all the new adventurers and travelers streaming through Tharsis, finding a room at the inn has been getting harder and harder. "We should have made a reservation before we set out."

He and Nate head on over, taking a seat in an adjourning bench. They were utterly exhausted after their expedition in the Sacred Mountains, and Milo's medical magic could only carry them so far - they needed to properly rest away their fatigue.

"...we can sleep in the skyship." Milo offered, seeing as no one else had a solution.

"There's no bedding in there. The ship already creaks in the day, so it probably wouldn't be best to sleep there." Their Vessel said, shaking their head. But then, they brighten up, having their own solution to share. "Holly lives here, right?"

"Erm, yes. Your point, Xen?"

"How about we pay her a visit?"

* * *

Holly had a pot of tea heating up while she was stripping out of her traditional Runemaster garb. The winter like gear was dumped into a laundry basket, which she plans to do in the morning before her guild's next expedition. Turning toward the fireplace, she abuses her runes, setting the logs ablaze; it's unlawful to use fire runes in Tharsis since it was more dangerous than lighting ordinary fires, but hey, it was less time consuming and no one was watching.

The Runemaster is the only member of the guild that is a natural resident of Tharsis. Mikhael, Nate, and Milo were traveling explorers that wanted to check out the Yggdrasil near Tharsis, and Xen was from the Misty Ravine, part of the recent Vessel immigration. The trio lacked the five members needed to establish an official guild at the time, and they ended up recruiting her and Xen.

As she sat by the fire, enjoying her brewed cup of tea, she thought back on their early days in the Lush Woodlands...

..When a knock came at her door. Wondering who could be visiting her at this time of night, she set her cup down and went to answer her door.

To her surprise, she saw Mikhael through the peephole. She opened the door and he greeted her, grinning yet sheepish. "Evening."

"Mikhael? What's wrong?" She asked. Ordinarily, at the end of the day, she would part ways from the others to go to her own apartment while they stayed at the inn. Were they going to have a night-time excursion? No, his body was too relaxed, too tired to go out exploring.

Mikhael scratches the back of his head, looking off to the side. "Well... the inn had no room for us today... so..."

"Can we stay!" Holly recognized the voice to belong to Nate, who often shielded her during battles. Perplexed, Holly looked past Mikhael and saw that the rest of the guild was there, all looking embarrassed to be coming to her for help.

"O-oh my, of course, come in, come in." She encouraged. Her apartment was a bit small for all of them, but they can figure out a way.

Mikhael excused himself inside, leaving his blades leaning against a wall whilst carefully putting his coat on a coat rack (which Holly sometimes puts her Runemaster clothing on). Milo thanked Holly as he came inside, hanging his Medic coat with the other. Xen waltzed in putting their staff next to the swords, and Nate...

"Nate, you aren't taking off your armor?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Always pays to be ready!" He answered, which made no sense to her whatsoever, given how safe Tharsis is.

"Don't give me this, take it off." She insisted.

While she had to deal with Nate, the other three sit down, Xen sitting on the floor cross-legged while Mikhael and Milo sat on the couch. They look around her apartment, having never been there before: there was a small kitchenette with all the essentials, the living room that was ornamented with some stuff they recognize from their excursions (like flowers or monster parts), there was a small bookcase that is almost full, and in the corner was a bed, with flowerly bedsheets.

"Thank you." Holly said, who was in the process of stripping the armor off a pouting Nate. "Hey, by the way, whose idea was it to come here?"

"Mine!" Xen said, hand raised. "Back in my village, when one of us couldn't stay in our home for whatever reason, their friends open their doors to them - I believed that human culture would be the same."

"It depends on the person." Milo said.

Nate, finally stripped down to his plain clothes, came over, grumbling. "How dare you..."

"Oh quiet, you'll sleep more comfortably." Holly sighed, patting his back. "I suppose that now that you're all here, I should make some more tea..."

Soon enough, everybody was sitting or standing around, enjoying cups of warm tea. "We should get an official guildhouse, you know." Mikhael mused, sipping from his cup. A lot of the more big-time guilds had gotten into purchasing buildings in Tharsis to use as a base for their expeditions, while a lot of the smaller ones just settled for the inns.

"Oh, oh! We really should!" Milo said excitedly - the caffeine in the tea was getting him hopped up. "We could get beds, get a couch and oh, our own weapon room, we don't need Dalla's storage!"

"We wouldn't have to worry about stuff like this anymore, either. Like in the forest, we'll live off our own spoils and success." Xen stated, taking Mikhael completely seriously.

"That sounds like a nice idea, but how would that work out?" Holly asked.

Mikhael shrugged. "Dunno, just an idea..."

Finally, at around 10, they decided to turn in. It was a bit tough, deciding on who would sleep where. Holly decided to let Milo have her bed, being drained mentally from constant usage of healing arts; he thanked her with a cheerful hug before collapsing on her bed. The Arcanist insisted that they could sleep perfectly fine on the floor, but Holly wouldn't have that, making them sleep with a spare blanket and pillow. Mikhael stretched out on the couch, while Nate just slept leaning against a wall (while mumbling that he missed his armor).

As for Holly, she had to make do with sleeping on the floor, too. Though, as she went to sleep, she felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that her friends have a safe place to sleep...

* * *

Author's Note: I wanted to write an Etrian Odyssey story that was a bit more slice of life. Originally this was going to be a really long one-shot, but I decided to turn it into a short multi-chapter thing. I'm... still kinda new at OC writing, to be honest. But I'll try my best!


	2. Chapter 2

When he was a young boy, Mikhael lived with his family in a cottage in lands south of Tharsis. His Father was the family caretaker that dabbled in healing arts. Mother, on the other hand was one of the land's explorers.

The land they lived in had an economy sustainable on the resources of nearby maze-like areas; not like the labyrinth's of yore, that reached deep into the earth, yet it had a similar, confusing structure full of monsters and the like. Explorers like Mother delved into the the mysterious land to retrieve resources beneficial for the city in exchange for money; some, however, dared to go deeper...

"Ma is back." Father would call out to him. The boy, aged 10, would run outside and see Mother.

She would come home a little scarred, yet victorious, carrying bountiful coin, and occasionally, meat from an edible monster. Father would curse and run out to help her inside to get her some proper care. Mikhael never worried though. Mother was strong and wouldn't go down to some monster.

She threw her adventurer coat on a rack and laid the sword near the door. Father laid her down on the couch to get a better look at her wounds. Mother paid no heed to his proddings, watching her son sit down on the rug, eagerly awaiting a story.

"...the scorpion was something called an FOE. FOES are mighty tough, ya know." She said, while Father was applying bandages. "Some of them don't bother chasing us, though, and the scorpion's one of them. If you just stay out of the way, you'll be okay."

Mikhael always listened to her stories, taking her adventuring advice to heart. He wanted to be an explorer just like Mother, to go on cool and exciting adventures like her...

"Good to go." Father kissed her cheek, allowing her to stand up. With that, he gathered the meat that she got from the dungeon and went into the kitchen.

While he stoked the fire, Mother and Mikhael snuck out back to do a little practice. Mikhael had a small blade that he had been given on his 9th birthday - it hadn't seen combat yet, but it's ended the lives of many wooden blocks. Said wooden blocks were set up on tree stumps, awaiting his assault. Mother claimed that the blocks were as sturdy as a mandrake, and if he could cut through those blocks, he could certainly slash a mandrake.

Of course, most of his training sessions involved him hacking at the block instead of making clean slices. But hey, practice makes perfect.

They went on back to the house, where Father greeted them with a meal of grilled meat. Mother and Father had cups of something called 'coffee', while young Mikhael had to settle for juice; he wondered what coffee tasted like, but they refused to give him any, believing him to be too young (not young enough to learn how to fight, apparently).

Eventually came nighttime. The cottage only had one separate room for Mother and Father, and Mikhael had stopped sleeping with them a few years ago. Instead, he settled for sleeping in the living room, bundled up in blankets on the couch; sometimes he liked to wrap one of the blankets around his neck, pretending to be a mighty hero.

* * *

Mikhael wakes up.

The sun had not yet risen; it was extremely early in the morning. Sitting up, he surveyed the room: Milo looked comfortable in the bed and Nate and Xen looked peaceful in their sleep (surprising for Nate, he noted); however, Holly looked uncomfortable - most likely, she isn't used to sleeping on the floor.

Stealthily, he gets up, carefully stepping over Nate as he strides over to the kitchen. Even now, he feels like following morning routine.

He frowned though, after a search of the kitchen ended up being fruitless. Holly had no coffee whatsoever. Only tea.

He has nothing against tea, but coffee's he real shit.

Mikhael instead decides to head out, taking a brief pause to take his jacket. He closed the door carefully and steps outside.

Early morning Tharsis is a sleepy place. The only ones out and about are guards and adventurers that were out for the night; however, there were a few establishments open to cater to this audience - and of course, the Dancing Peacock is always open. So, he chose to go there - might as well check out what work is available.

"Hey, Nimbus!" Kirtida greeted. The proprietor of the Dancing Peacock was at a counter, her head resting on it; she seemed to have been taking a nap.

The Nimbus Guild is the name of their guild, and being seen as the leader, some people referred to Mikhael as 'Nimbus'. Officially, his guild had no leaded, but being the oldest member (well, oldest human; Xen looked a lot younger than they are), he is seen as the de-facto leader.

"Morning, Kirtida."

"You're up awfully early... you weren't one of those poor guys that had to sleep in a skyship, right?"

"Nah, nah, Holly had us covered, she lives here."

"Oh, that's good for your guild! It's nice to have a comfortable place to stay, just in case." The woman yawned, stretching. "What brings you here?"

"Looking for some work and coffee."

"Well, I haven't gotten any requests yet, but it is pretty early. I totally got you on the coffee though; just sit down and relax, I'll get a cup."

Mikhael sat down at the counter, waiting patiently. He looked around the place. There were a few explorers at the lounge, sitting there and talking after a night of exploration; a few of them were asleep, so Mikhael assumed that they were staying there due to the lack of vacancies. There were a few tired Tharsis guards, clanging bottles of beer; Mikhael himself wasn't a man that could hold his liquor.

Feeling a little exhaustion come to him, Mikhael allowed himself to close his eyes...

* * *

Why was Father crying?

12 year old Mikhael woke up to the sounds of his Father in misery. The man was at the door with one of the city guards, who placed her hand on his shoulder sympathetically. '"I'm sorry." She said quietly, but the impact felt like a shout.

"H..how did it happen?" Father stammered.

"She... she was leading an expedition with a bunch of other explorers. Wanted to see what resources and treasure were on the lower floors... The... the scorpions ganged up on them. Only the Protector survived. It... it was a massacre."

Father seemed to break down into a melancholic state after that. Mikhael himself was in denial at first. Mother couldn't be dead. She was just a bit late, that's all...

But then, the city confirmed her death by delivering Mother's bloodied coat and sword to the household.

...

The family depression lasted a long time. Eventually though, Father had to get to work, now having to take the role of family breadwinner. He took into the labyrinth and wielded a mace; he allied with other explorers but never delved too far.

As for Mikhael, he spent his days at home, alone. In the past, he always hung around with Father, but he was barely around anymore. Mikhael tried to entertain himself. He tried to recall Mother's stories, playing them out in his head; he looked at her old maps, imagining the routes she took. The old recollections inspired a fantasy in his mind.

And that fantasy inspired him to make those adventures a reality.

Mother wouldn't want him to be sad.

She would want him to go on his own adventures...

* * *

Mikhael wakes up when a mug of coffee was slammed on the counter, next to his head. Kirtida looked at him, whilst sipping at her own cup. "Need any cream or sugar?"

"I'm good." Mikhael answered. He sat up and lifted the mug up to his mouth, pouring the strong coffee into his mouth. Bitter yet excellent.

A new team of explorers enters the tavern; a bunch of rookies by the looks of their armor, Mikhael noted. They too sat at the counter, requesting not beer but coffee. They are going to the Misty Ravine for the first time, a girl that seemed to be the leader said. As tired as they all were, they were hyped to go.

'Always great to see kids like these excited to explore'. Thought Mikhael.

After Kirtida finished taking their order, she walks past the Nightseeker, and she notices: "Oh, you still have your coat on. Do you want me to put it on a rack?"

"Nah, nah, it's special to me." He answered.

"Suit yourself, then."

* * *

As Mikhael grew up, he started doing some actual adventuring of his own.

By age 14, he came to the mazes with Father.

At 16, he was exploring by himself.

When he turned 20, he left the house.

Mikhael stood in his home for the last time, decked in basic armor for Landsknechts; he had not yet considered becoming a Nightseeker at the time, and Landsknechts were popular for rookie explorers. He carried a new sword and shield on his back while he held a sack in his hands: homemade food for the road, medicas, paper and pens for making maps and writing letters to home.

"Remember to write home often, and tell me about your adventures like your ma used to do." Father reminded him. The aging man was sad and a bit anxious, but he wanted his son to follow his ambitions, and it was certainly something Mother would support as well.

"I will. I'll try to send you some en."

"No, keep your money. Until you find a place to stay, every bit of coin counts."

"Got it. Well... I'll be off now. I'll write you a letter when I get to the inn!"

"Mikhael, wait. You almost forgot your coat."

That statement confused the budding adventurer. He didn't own a coat.

Then, Father held out Mother's coat, all cleaned up, large enough to now support Mikhael's own frame.

"...r-really?" He stammered out.

"Keep it, to remind you of home. Just take good care of it, alright?"

Nodding appreciatively, Mikhael took the shield off his back and flung the coat around his back and put it on - just wearing it heightened his spirita. With one last heartfelt goodbye, Mikhael left his childhood home, and soon left his land, looking for adventure in lands unknown to him...

* * *

Mikhael stands up and stretched, feeling revitalized. Leaving some en on the counter as a tip and calling out a good-bye, the Nightseeker went outside. The sun is starting to rise, rays of light and warmth hitting Tharsis. What to do today, wondered the coat wearer. Everyone might still be tired from yesterday's adventure, and they already took in a good haul.

"Wonder if they're awake." He said, remembering that everybody was sleeping over at Holly's. As he started heading back, a bit of a spring in his step, he thought about last night, and how nice it was to sleep at Holly's. Holly's house felt nice and safe, a friendly atmosphere that reminded him of his old home. On that note, he tells himself to write a letter to his old man when he gets to the apartment; his Father would love to hear the Nimbus Guild's adventures in the mountains.


End file.
